Tag Archives: housing

I’m handing this posting over to Mike Stanton of the Preservation Association of Central New York. He sent me the following. Note the dates of construction. This was all going on while we were being told that Walgreens would not entertain building anything other than the standard suburban model we were fighting. We’re thrilled to see Walgreens has learned how to build for an urban environment.

Mike writes:

In 2004 Walgreens made a proposal to build their standard store at a busy Seattle intersection: a large, single-story, stand-alone building with surface parking. The neighborhood was appalled.

What opened for business last month, to city-wide acclaim, was a far cry from Walgreens original proposal. The five-story Broadway Crossings, the first of its kind in the country, is a joint project between Walgreens and Capital Hill Housing. There is a 12,000-square-foot Walgreens store on the first floor, two levels of underground parking below and 44 subsidized housing units in the four stories above. Nine of the units are designated for households transitioning from homelessness; 22 go to families making up to 30 percent of the county’s median income; 11 to those making up to 40 percent; and 11 to those making up to 60 percent. It is also a green building incorporating more than 50 sustainable features including windows and carpets that meet strict environmental standards.

A lot of houses in Eastwood were built in the 1920′s and 1930′s. This was a time when many families had no car or, at most, one. So the garage was not your front door and the streets were made with walking in mind. It was a time when people had to be thrifty with everything, including energy (hmm! Maybe it’s time to learn a thing or two from The Greatest Generation!). The largest rooms were those where families could sit down to eat together – the dining room is the largest room in many houses and flats in this area. Bedrooms were pretty much for sleeping, not for watching TV, and there weren’t the overlarge closets we shopaholics need for clothes that don’t even get worn.Continue reading →